


The Raven

by Mistresserin



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: AU, Action/Adventure, Angst, Danvarias, F/F, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Humor, Kara Zor-El is a badass, Kara Zor-El kills, Lena is a Princess, Lena is a smart cookie, Protective Kara Danvers, Rescue Missions, Romance, Slow Burn, Slow Burn Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, SuperCorp, There's a plot, Valhalla, bloodline, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:29:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27582074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mistresserin/pseuds/Mistresserin
Summary: Kara Zorsdóttir sails her longship toward the coast of L'uthr with vengeance on her mind.Lionel, king of L'uthr betrayed the Kryptonians on the night they were supposed to unite their families. Blood has been spilled and there's no going back. The Kryptonians won't rest until their fallen are avenged and assured their rightful place in Valhalla, and there's still the matter that Lena of L'uthr is now a Zorsdóttir and a Kryptonian by marriage, and no Kryptonian is left behind.OrKara is a sort of Kryptonian Viking, a supposed barbarian, and Lena is a delicate L'uthronian Princess.
Relationships: Alura In-Ze | Alura Zor-El/Zor-El, Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, Samantha "Sam" Arias/Alex Danvers
Comments: 68
Kudos: 149





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! How's is everyone doing? All keeping safe I hope.  
> Back with a new story. I've been tinkering with this plot for months now and I hope you like it.  
> This is not a story about typical Kara. Kara is a Kryptonian warrior, she's good at it and she knows it. Just a warning: if Kara being a warrior that has no issues about killing her enemies gives you nightmares, then this story isn't for you.  
> That being said, Kara is still sweet, is still goofy and oblivious at times, and her smile still puts the sun to shame. Alex is still her overprotective, grumpy big sister and Lena is still smarter than most and she will still find herself unable to resist the beautiful Kryptonian.  
> This story is based on a Vikings setting. A 'what if Kryptonians were Vikings instead of an alien race' sort of thing. Just to make things clear, I am not aiming for historical or canon accuracy as you will soon find out. I made up this world. Some of it will resonate with canon and History and some of it won't.  
> Enjoy! :)

It always started as a whisper, a rustle of hushed voices and soft sounds she couldn't quite decipher. Then came movement, blurry motions emerging from shadows until they became clearer, distinct, full of color and forms no one else could see. No one else but her.

Yet, this time there were no bright colors and forms, only a full reddish moon on a dark, starless sky. Out from the shadows, a raven flew high in the sky, crossing over the red moon but it dropped suddenly and hit the ground with a soft thud. There was noise from the darkness below, a soft weeping sound coming somewhere from the ground.

A beam of bright moonlight shone down on a hunched man, an old man, with long, grey hair. The old man gently touched the feather-covered chest of the fallen raven, crying, grieving. Raising his head, the man glanced over his broad shoulder, almost as if knowing he was being watched. Wiping the falling tears from his good eye, the bearded man whispered, ‘My blood has been spilled. Avenge me.’.

‘My blood…’ His voice became a whisper of unintelligible words and sounds, and forms and colors blurred and faded into the shadows as the bright moon slowly became the color of thick blood.

“My blood…” Sightless eyes opened with a start, the words tumbling out from cold lips in the eerie silence of dawn. “My blood…”

###

Northern Krypton,

Argo Bay Village,

Long, tanned fingers brushed slowly over the expanse of ivory, freckled skin, gentle lips pressing lazily between delicate shoulders.

“You better go before your brother misses you and decides to challenge me to a fistfight. Again.” She shifted a little to the side and this time kissed a shoulder. “I'm not sure he can afford to lose any more teeth.”

The woman lying down on her belly chuckled. “It's still dark and he's still trying to raise the dead with his ungodly snoring.”

The blonde laughed quietly. “I'm sure missing two front teeth doesn't help. Come on, I'll walk you home. Day is about to break but it’s still dark out.”

The woman slowly turned around from under her, presenting her exposed chest with a leery smile, her ivory fingers brushing the discolored, jagged patch of skin on the woman’s left shoulder. “Are you sure? We still have time before the sun is up.”

The blonde smirked, leaning over to kiss a dark nipple. Another kiss quickly turned into gentle sucking and the woman was soon moaning her approval. “Positive…”

The blonde quickly pushed herself away from the now stunned and sputtering woman, searching for her discarded tunic on the wooden floor.

“You're mean, Kara!”

Kara chuckled, amused. Glancing over her shoulder, she pulled the soft red tunic over her head, her blue eyes glinting with mischief. “That's not what you said just moments ago. I think it was something like you're so—"

A pillow hit her full on the face, making her laugh hard.

## 

It was another foggy morning in Argo, but she knew that the endless sun would soon rise high in the sky and the fog would slowly dissipate to give way to another beautiful summer day. Taking a deep breath, Kara Zorsdóttir closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of the early birds and the gentle lapping of the ocean waves on the dark rock she was standing on. A relaxed smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she inhaled the ocean breeze deeply. She always liked this time of day when the sun was still low on the horizon and the animals and the villagers were just waking up.

Standing there, perched on top of the prominent rock on the shore of Rao’s bay, just feet away from her cabin, her smile grew wider when she opened her eyes. She was feeling good today, excited. Of course, sharing her bed with a beautiful woman helped too. It left her feeling relaxed and mellow, and lazy. Maybe she could convince her mother to go berry hunting with her, maybe some herbs too. She missed spending time alone with her mother.

Inhaling deeply once more, the blonde stretched up with a satisfying groan. Standing on the tips of her toes as her bones popped with a loud sound, she relaxed once more, still smiling – she was enjoying her peaceful morning. Very soon, the village would come alive with bustling movement and children running around and being loud. That was all right. She liked the bustling noise too. She wouldn’t be able to live in Constantinople for so long if she didn’t.

She was about to leave her rock to go back to her cabin for breakfast when a familiar dark shape slowly broke through the fog. It was a dragon’s head, followed by a large rectangular dark shadow. Her smile transformed into an excited grin instantly.

“Dad…”

She would recognize that ship anywhere. Plus, it was one of the only two ships that had left that summer. Usually, they left early in the season, with three to five ships to raid the shores of Eire and the lands of the Saxons, but the previous summer her father had reached an agreement with Lionel, king of L’uthr. Instead of raids and death and destruction, every summer they would travel to the shores of L’uthr for trade, as new friends and allies, a treaty that would be secured with marriage between her brother Kal and the princess of L’uthr. So, this time, her brother and father had sailed out with just two ships, full of goods for trade. It would be the first time they would establish trade with L’uthr and Zor wanted to send the message that he was an honorable man.

__

_ “Dad, that’s absurd! You can’t take just one ship!” Alex argued, holding her splinted wrist and forearm close to her chest. Her wrist was secured between four thin wooden splints that Kara had specifically shaped at her mother’s request, held together by a linen cloth and leather bands. “I don’t trust the L’uthronians. That prince of theirs…” _

_ “I agree with Alex, dad,” Kara said looking around quickly to make sure her mother wasn’t anywhere in the vicinity. Satisfied that she wasn’t going to get yelled at, Kara pulled her feet up on the table. Leaning back comfortably against her chair, long fingers entwined over her abdomen and she crossed her feet. “I don’t trust them either.” _

_ Zor rolled his bright blue eyes, pulling absentmindedly on his long strawberry blond beard. Like so many Kryptonian men, his beard and hair were long and fashioned with intricate braids, some long or small, others thick or thin. Some even had bits of leather or colorful beads to hold the tips together. _

_ “Kal and I won’t be dealing with Maxwell and if we show up with more than one ship, Lionel might think I won’t uphold my end of the bargain, and all the effort Kal and Lex put up to make this happen will be for nothing.” _

_ “Lionel might not want to uphold his end of the bargain, dad. Have you thought about that?” Alex pointed out coldly. “You could be walking into a trap. Then what? From what I’ve gathered, the crown Prince has quite a bit of influence over the king. How will you hold off his army with forty warriors if he decides to attack?” _

_ Kara nodded her agreement, watching her father closely. It was a security risk. With just one ship full of men to face off Lionel’s army, even the finest Kryptonian warriors wouldn’t last. Zor pursed his lips, choosing to sip on his ale before answering his daughter, clearly considering her question. _

_ “We’re sailing with our finest warriors, therefore, I believe we can hold our own until we can escape. And if by chance he does betray me, we’ll come back with fifty ships next summer and I’ll have him on his knees begging for mercy before I rip his heart out and feed it to the pigs.” Alex opened her mouth, but he cut her off. “No, you are not coming with us, Alex, and yes, you’re one of my finest warriors too, but you’re injured. If we need to fight, you can’t pick up your sword and I’ll be focused on protecting you instead of leading my warriors.” _

_ “I can fight with my left hand!” Alex shot indignantly, a few strands of loose red hair falling over her beautiful face. “And I will be healed by the time we get there!” _

_ “I am aware of that, daughter, but we both know that your left is not nearly as accurate or deadly as your right hand.” His blue eyes softened. “And your mother said it will take you at least until the next full moon before you can safely pick up your sword to practice.” _

_ Alex leaned back heavily on her seat, grumbling under her breath about the stupid squirrel that invaded her forge and caused the accident. _

_ “Don’t worry, Alex, I’ll keep him out of trouble while we’re there,” Kara smirked at her father, her eyes shining with mirth. “Odin knows it won’t be an easy task. I may need a week alone up in the mountains upon my return.” _

_ Zor smirked back, taking the mug to his lips. “You’re not going either, daughter.” _

_ The smile dropped from Kara’s face at once and she sat up straight, glaring at her father. “What? But—” _

_ “Ah!” Alex pointed at her sister triumphantly and Kara shot her a dirty look. _

_ “I won’t risk Lionel wanting to sweeten the deal with a double marriage,” Zor said, raising a sharp eyebrow. “I already had to give one daughter away to bring peace to this village, I will not give another one.” _

_ “I love my wife, dad,” Alex said warily, “as I’m sure you’ve noticed.” _

_ “I have.” He smiled fondly at her. “And you were a damn lucky one, daughter, to have married the one you loved. Most people will never know that.” _

_ Alex’s eyes softened. “I know.” _

_ Kara frowned, not liking this one bit. “He doesn’t know I’m your daughter. I—” _

_ “You’re still not going.” _

_ “But dad, Kal is getting married in L’uthr. I have to be there!" _

_ “And he’s getting married here too. My decision is final, Kara.” Shifting in his chair so he could face her, Zor smiled at his youngest daughter, his eyes softening. “The moment Maxwell lays eyes on you, there is no way he’s not going to want to take you for his own, and I will not give my daughter away to a man that has Loki in his eyes and Hel in his heart.” Zor paused, his lips twitching. “And then there’s Lex. He’s nice but bald.” _

_ Kara huffed, rolling her eyes. “They’re both men, dad. That alone does not favor either of them.” _

_ Zor laughed, taking another sip of his ale. “Can you imagine the look on his face?” Zor flickered his long blond hair back with his hand and changed his voice to a girly tone. “Hey, husband, you don’t happen to have another unmarried sister, do you?” _

_ Kara scowled. “As long as she’s not bald.” _

_ Zor roared with laughter at the sour look on his daughter’s face, and even Alex chuckled at her predicament. _

Smiling brightly, she made her way down to the harbor to welcome them. Her family was home, and they could stop worrying. She hoped Alex’s foul mood would improve with Sam’s arrival. Besides, she was curious about Kal’s wife. He kept gloating nonstop about her beauty.

_ “Hair as dark as winter’s night, skin as white as fresh, pristine snow and eyes as green as the new grass in spring,” Kal recited, his green eyes dreamy. _

_ Kara gave him a weird look. “Are you…” Her blue eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, sweet Freya’s knickers! You have a crush on the Princess of L’uthr!” _

_ Kal blushed. “I do not! I mean, I— what if I do? We’re to be married next season!” _

_ But Kara just grinned. “You have a crush on your wife to be that you’ve met only once! Mom is going to be over the moon with this. I gotta tell her!” _

_ “What? No!” Kal scrambled to his feet, but it was too late. “Kara! Wait!” _

_ Kara sprinted across the short bridge that separated her recently built home from the rest of the shore cabins, Kal hot on her tail. _

_ “Kara! Get back here! You can’t tell mom!” _

_ Kara laughed, dodging crates and barrels, and people, who yelled at them indignantly. She knew he was fast and in really good shape, but she was faster than him. Faster than most actually. _

_ “She’s going to be sooooo happy!” _

_ She could hear him growl behind her and it made her laugh harder. It distracted her enough for her to forget about the bend on the dirt path; to forget how tricky he could be; to forget to look over her shoulder until it was too late, and his heavier body was already colliding with hers, his long, muscled arms wrapping around her waist and tumbling them both down the gentle slope into the shallow, cold waters of the bay. _

_ Kara sputtered, trying to get rid of his vicious grip on her, but Kal was having none of that. _

_ “Sweet Frigg give me strength, will you two ever grow up!” _

_ The siblings stopped at the sound of their mother’s voice, staring wide-eyed at the redhead glaring down at them with her hands on her hips. _

_ “Kara, please…” Kal pleaded softly in her ear, letting go of her. _

_ She took pity on him. Plenty of time to tease him later. “Sorry, mama. I slipped and pretty boy here tried to save me, but…” She shrugged, knowing her mother wasn’t buying it. She never did. _

_ “Slipped? You?” Her mother pointed a long finger at her, a knowing glint in her hazel eyes. _

_ Kara chuckled, sloshing through the water that went up to her knees and climbed up the slope, Kal following her, both dripping wet. “Happens sometimes.” If she was very drunk and blindfolded. _

_ Alura sighed heavily. “Go change before you catch your deaths! Winter is upon us! And don’t take long, I need help loading those boxes!” _

_ “Yes, mother,” they both said at the same time, each kissing the smaller woman on the cheek. _

_ “What am I going to do with both of you? You’re incorrigible.” _

_ Her mother’s grumbling made her smile. She missed being home. _

Making her way to the harbor with a happy smile, she was more than ready to embarrass Kal in front of his new wife, but as the red ship neared closer to the dock, she found it odd when she couldn't see anyone on board. By now, all the warriors should be up and about to help berth the longship, and Kal should be perched on the dragon’s head, goofily waving at her while their father yelled at him to help out and stop being silly. That made her grin. He always managed to get in trouble just to make her laugh even when she didn’t feel like it.  _ “It’s because your laughter can raise the dead and bring a smile to Hel’s face!”,  _ he always said.

Her smile faltered, however, when she noticed the erratic course of the ship. It should be heading straight to the dock, but instead, it was drifting aimlessly in the calm waters of the peaceful bay as if no one was holding the steering oar. And they should be pulling the blue sail down by now, so why weren’t they?

“Something’s not right…” Kara jogged down to the harbor, beckoning the men standing there staring at the adrift ship to follow her to where a small rowboat was moored at the end of the harbor.

The men jumped inside after her and grabbed the oars, quickly pushing the boat away from its berth. The small boat glided silently through the calm waters until it reached the long warship. Kara signaled her men to keep quiet and prepare for boarding, listening intently for any sounds that might give away what was happening inside, but no sounds came. Moving soundlessly, the men kept their eyes on her, waiting for her orders. Kara unsheathed the Seax she always carried on her leather belt, placing one hand on the side of the ship, between two blue round shields. Giving the men a curt nod, Kara hauled herself up on board, the men following her lead.

Kara’s booted feet landed on hard wood with a soft thud, her body dropping to a half-crouch with the Seax in her hand ready to strike. It lasted a moment only before she was slowly rising to her full height as the warriors dropped beside her with a heavier thud. The sharp blade almost fell from her suddenly nerveless fingers at the sight before her. Probably less than ten warriors lied huddled and unmoving inside the ripped tent they had put up to protect themselves from the sun and rain. She couldn’t see their faces, couldn’t tell if they were injured or even alive or even if they were aware that the ship had been boarded. At the bow was another body, by the steering oar, a bulky form covered with a large dark cloak.

Her throat closed suddenly, her breath faltering. She knew those men and she knew that cloak. “Check on them,” She rasped, pointing to the ruined tent without taking her eyes off the slumped, unmoving body at the bow of the ship.

Forcing herself to move steadily to the body hidden under the cloak, Kara looked for any signs that he was still breathing, that he was still alive, but couldn’t find any. She tried to kneel, but all she managed was dropping on one knee with a loud thud. Her hands were shaking, she noticed, and her chest felt heavy and constricted. That never happened. Forcing her arm to move, she touched the worn-out fabric of the cloak with trembling fingers.

“Dad?”

There was no movement. Her eyes became full of unshed tears as she stared at the dark fabric. That was her father under that cloak, she knew, and he was dead. Her loving father was dead. Long fingers curled around the fabric, gently pulling it down. She had to see him. She had to.

A grunt startled her, and she clumsily stepped back in reaction, falling on her butt as a tear rolled down without permission.

“Dad?” Kara desperately yanked back the dark fabric off the man’s face.

“Water…” The faint whisper left parched and cracked lips.

“Daddy…” her eyes were blurry with unshed tears and Kara dropped her head on his broad chest, sending a silent prayer to Odin for bringing her father back. But whatever small mercy they had been granted, they still wouldn’t get rid of heartbreak, she knew it in her heart.

“Water…”

Kara raised her head, cleaning the falling tears with the back of her hands, her eyes falling onto her father’s severely sunburnt face. She dared not touch it for fear of hurting him.

“You’re home, daddy. Just a little longer,” she promised softly, knowing with this level of dehydration they had no more freshwater on board they could use. “Hang in there, please…”

“Kara!”

The tall blonde forced her eyes away from her father and looked behind her shoulder at the villager calling out for her. “I’ll be back…” She whispered to her father before rising tall and straight. She was a Zorsdóttir and a warrior, she would not crack.

“They’re alive! All of them!” The blond man looked over his shoulder, his eyes full of worry. “Barely.” He looked back at her and tried to see past her shoulder, but she was considerably taller than him. “Is that…”

“My father, yes. He’s alive too.” She couldn’t see the men in the shabby tent, but she had to know. “Is my brother there? My sister?”

The man’s brown eyes dropped, shaking his head.

Kara’s heart sank, her hands balling into white knuckle fists at her sides. What would she tell her mother? Gods, what would she tell Alex?

Swallowing hard, Kara spoke quietly, staring straight ahead, “Take the rowboat now and get wagons and people to help, and have them bring water. Send someone to Argo and warn mother that we’re… We’re coming in with severely wounded. Go!”

The man left without a question and she was left alone, tall, and proud, and broken, standing on the deck of the mighty warship, her blue eyes trying to pierce through the fog still clinging to the peaceful bay, praying for the second ship to emerge from the misty waters with the rest of them, but she could see nothing.

Something was terribly wrong, she knew it.

## 

Argo Borg,

Several candlemarks later,

Inside the tavern was gloomy and dark, and it suited her mood perfectly. Her mind was racing faster than Hermod with everything going on and nothing made sense because only the worst scenario was plausible, and she couldn’t handle it. She would never accept that! Her wife was not dead! All she needed was for someone, any one of them to wake up and tell her where her wife and brother were. But it could take days before anyone regained consciousness and they had no choice but to wait, and until then, gods only knew what could happen. Kara’s words from earlier were still ringing loud in her mind. ‘ _ I don’t know’. _ She couldn’t think beyond that.  _ I don’t know _ … It was exasperating.

“I don’t know…” she slurred the words back, dejectedly. Bringing her mug up to her lips, she tilted her head back but there was nothing left.

Annoyed, she brought the mug down, banging it heavily on the table and peeking inside. Empty. Not good. She needed more ale, a lot more. She needed to shut up the voices in her head.

“Gorm!” She called out raising her mug clumsily. “It’s empty! I told you not to leave it empty…”

The mug almost fell from her hand as she brought it back down on the table, barely catching it in time.

“Alex…” She looked up at the tavern keeper, questioning in her glassy eyes. “I think you’ve had enough.”

Alex scowled at the chubby man. “I beg to disagree. Fill it!”

“Alex…”

“Fill it or I’m taking my coin elsewhere!”

For a moment, she thought he was going to say something, but the man’s shoulder sagged instead, and he filled her mug from the jug he was holding in his hand.

Alex placed a coin on the table with a hard slap, her eyes never leaving the man’s face.

“This one is on the house,” he said softly before leaving, pity in his dark eyes.

She hated that look in his kind eyes, hated that he thought he needed to pity her just because they were friends, but she hated the most the pain she felt inside, the one that was barging relentlessly in her chest and she couldn’t make it stop. Taking a long gulp of the cool ale, Alex downed half the mug. She was angry. Why hadn’t her father listened to her? Why hadn’t her wife?

_ “There’s still time for you to drop from this trip, Sam. No one will fault you,” Alex insisted once more, her honey-colored eyes pleading. They were at the harbor and everywhere around them, her friends and neighbors were saying goodbye to their loved ones. _

_ “Honey, we’re not going out on a raid. It’s a friendly trip and not my first one either.” Sam pulled her into her warm arms, nuzzling her loose red hair with her nose. “And I really want to hit that market.” _

_ Alex frowned. “I don’t want a new cloak, Sam. Please, don’t go. I—” How could she explain it, how could she explain the churning she felt in her gut for days now. “I have a bad feeling, Sam.” _

_ Sam kissed her cheek. “We’ll be gone for a moon, sweetheart, maybe less. Kara made your father promise we’d be back before her birthday and you know he gets. Besides,” the brunette looked over her shoulder, seeing the men jumping on board. “I think the Princess will appreciate having another woman on board.” _

_ Alex closed her eyes, frustrated. Why wasn’t Sam listening to her? _

“Why didn’t you listen to me, you pigheaded—" Alex gulped down the rest of the mug’s contents. “Another!”

Resting her head between her hands, Alex breathed out slowly. Things were starting to get a little fuzzy around the edges and not knowing what was happening was driving her mad. And why had Kara sent the ships away without waiting for her? She should be out there, looking for her wife!

“Where are you…”

## 

She was angry. Angry and frustrated and that was never a good combination. Pacing back and forth, her stormy blue eyes scanned every inch of the bay below, waiting for the incoming ships, for the smoke signal that would tell her whether they had found the second ship or not. She was at the highest watchtower, on the north side of Argo, watching the bay’s entrance intently. From there, she could see all of the bay and any incoming ship, but it was already close to sundown and still no sign of the second ship or any of the others.

“I should’ve been there…” she grumbled under her breath, a deep crinkle on her forehead enhancing the scar she had close to her left eyebrow ever since she was a toddler. “I shouldn’t have left him to convince me to stay!”

She was being irrational, she knew, but her father was severely injured and still fighting for his life, and her brother and her sister’s wife were missing.

“Missing…” that forced a disgusted snort out of her tightly closed lips. She had no idea what happened. No one did. No one but the unconscious men down at the healing house. She hated not knowing and every moment they stayed there, without information, without knowing what was happening was cutting short their chances to do something to help their friends!

But do what? They knew nothing! For all they knew, everyone else was probably dead. Could’ve been a storm or an ambush or… No, not a storm. No, this was that bastard’s fault, she was sure of it, the crown prince, Maxwell of L’uthr. He was vehemently against Kal’s marriage with his sister from the beginning. This was his doing, she could feel it in her bones. She needed more information.

Her mother was confident they would start waking within a day or so, but Kal and Sam and all of their friends might not have that time if they were still alive! She needed to know what happened so she could do something about it, dammit! She was not used to waiting around!

Tears welled up in her eyes for the second time that day. “You better not be dead, you goof, or I will hunt you down in Valhalla and bring you back kicking and screaming!” She grumbled angrily, but her throat felt constricted and her voice faltered. “Worse, I’ll send mother in for you and then there’ll be Hel to pay.” She stopped pacing, staring out at the blurring bay, her chest heaving. “You promised you’d come back… You promised…”

__

_ A fortnight before their departure, and under their mother’s threat to have him sleep in the goats’ house for the long Kryptonian winter, they finally convinced their father to take a second ship with extra warriors, and Sam. It was the logic of Alex’s argument that convinced him though. What would happen if they came across a rival ship on open sea or even on land? It happened frequently. With just one ship, they could easily be outnumbered and overpowered. _

_ Kara looked up at the brother she adored and smiled. Dad always said he had his mother’s looks, with his dark hair, green eyes, and cleft chin. Unlike most of his fellow warriors, he liked his hair and beard short. He was lazy and they all knew it. _

_ “I’ll keep an eye on dad, Kara, don’t worry about it.” He smiled easily at her. _

_ A light blonde eyebrow rose sharply, “And who will keep an eye on you?” _

_ He grinned. “Sam will.” _

_ Kara cringed, feeling sorry for her sister’s wife. “Poor Sam. She’ll probably come back cursing the day she came into this family.” _

_ Looking over to the side, she watched as Sam nuzzled her wife’s red hair, a frown on her sister’s face while Sam spoke quietly in her ear. Closer to the longship, her mother scolded her father while he kept smiling at her. Zor took his wife’s hand from his chest and brought it to his lips, saying something. From where she stood, she could see Alura roll her eyes, but her mother inched closer, resting her head on his broad chest. _

_ Kal laughed easily. “Nah, I think she’s used to us by now. Plus, if she had to deal with Ragnar daily, she can handle this little trip.” _

_ Kara chuckled. Her brother’s rivalry with Sam’s older brother was legendary. “That’s true. Just hurry back, please. We need to plan where we’re going to raid until the end of the summer, or the men will go crazy.” _

_ Kal raised both eyebrows, a knowing smile on his lips. “You mean you?” _

_ Kara grinned, her bright blue eyes full of mirth. “I mean Alex.” _

_ He laughed, pulling her closer, into a tight hug. “I’ll bring you back books. I won’t forget, I promise.” _

_ “I mean it, don’t take long. Alex will be grumpy and sulking until you guys come back, and mom will leave me alone with her, I just know it!” _

_ “We’ll come back before your birthday, as promised.” _

_ “You better!” Kara closed her eyes and smiled, poking his side. “Don’t forget to bring your new wife too. If she’s ugly, I’ll let you keep her.” _

_ He chuckled, kissing her head. “We will discuss getting your own wife when I get back.” _

_ Kara smirked and patted his bearded cheek. “Keep dreaming, brother.” _

Her fists clenched and unclenched at her side as she bit her trembling lip, her eyes full of unshed tears. She was going to kill the bastard. If this agony was his doing if he laid one finger on her brother or Sam… Gods, Sam…

Touching her bruising wrist, Kara closed her eyes, the tears finally falling. The haunted look on her sister’s honey-colored eyes when she barged inside the healing room was something she would never forget.

_ “Mom!” Alex burst inside the healing room, spotting her sister at once. “Kara, what happened? I came as soon as I—” Alex’s voice was cut off the moment the tall redhead’s eyes fell on their father’s cot. “Dad…” She whispered, looking around the room, her eyes wide and fearful. “Kara, where’s…” _

_ Kara rose from where she was kneeling by a cot and stood before her sister, waiting. What would she tell her? She was a coward. _

_ “Kar…” Alex grasped her wrist, pulling her closer, her brown eyes frantic. “Where’s Sam?” _

_ Kara lowered her eyes and shook her head slowly. “I don’t know…” _

_ The grip on her wrist tightened painfully, but Kara didn’t flinch. _

_ “Where’s my wife?” _

She was going to kill the rotten bastard for what he was doing to her family! She was going to kill him very slowly.

Voices from close by forced her to open her eyes and she rushed to clean her tears, quickly resuming her pacing. She would not have them see her cry. She did not cry in front of others, dammit!

Finding herself by the south corner of the watchtower, she came to a halt. From there, she could see the surrounding woods and the farmlands beyond, and all of Argo Borg, the largest walled town of Northern Krypton, just under a candlemark away from the village. Strategically located uphill and close to the cliffs, it was built against the mountainside and protected by wide grassy mounds and a thick outer stake wall palisade. With its impressive watchtowers and defensive gaps and adorned with long colorful banners with the Chief’s coat of arms, and the shields of allied tribes painted on the outer palisade, Argo was impressive and said to be impregnable.

“Kara?”

Kara turned around at the sound of a small voice, hoping the cool breeze had dried her tears quickly. It was the tavern owner’s young boy. Or she thought it was. She couldn’t remember his name.

“Yes?”

“I’m Gorm’s son. My father sent me here.” The boy looked over his shoulder, unsure. “Huh…”

She motioned him closer, dismissing the guards that were standing at the entrance of the watchtower. “What is it?”

The boy hesitated before moving closer, whispering in her ear. Kara cursed under her breath and the boy pulled away, looking back at the men with a bright blush.

“Take me there.” Taking one last look at the darkening bay, Kara followed the boy. It was going to be a long night.

##

Kara grunted as most of Alex’s weight fell on her. It hadn’t been hard to convince her drunken sister to leave the tavern. After almost eight mugs of Gorm’s powerful ale, Alex was more than amiable, if a little heavy. It was taking her back to the house that was a pain. Navigating the outside stairs was being specifically hard when Alex seemed to have forgotten how to climb stairs.

“Crap, Alex, you’re not making this easy!” Kara grunted, grasping to hold on to Alex while still trying to get them moving. “Put your foot up!”

“Dson’t talk… to me…” Alex slurred, leaning heavily on her sister, which cause Kara to stagger backward. “M’mad…”

Kara cursed softly, tightening her grip on her sister’s belt. If she wasn’t careful, Alex would tumble them both down the stairs and that was going to hurt.

“I can just leave you here if you want. Mom can come get you and deal with you.”

Alex slowly blinked at her sister, her eyes glassy. “You lef’me behind… a—already… I should’ve… I should—”

“I know, but there was no time, Alex, and mom needs us here. Now put your foot up or so help me gods, I’m carrying you inside over my shoulder!”

Alex tried to glare at her but all she managed was more drunken blinking. “You wouldn’t… d—dare…”

“Try me.” Kara flashed her a warning glare, hoping she could get her to at least walk up the stairs. She knew her sister would be angrier at her if she carried her over her shoulder but right now, she didn’t care. She needed to put her to bed and then check on her parents before going back to her vigil.

Alex grumbled under her breath but managed to put her foot upon the step. Kara sighed in relief knowing she would still have to push her up, but at least now her older sister was helping!

It took them a while to manage the stairs, with Alex grumbling drunkenly the entire time about being mad at her and dad, and Sam, especially Sam, but Kara finally got them inside.

“She’s not dead…” Alex murmured when Kara helped her down on her bed.

Kara frowned down at her sister, hands on her hips. She was sweating from pretty much carrying a stumbling Alex back from the tavern. “How do you know?”

“M’gut…” The redhead slurred, her eyes closing. Her breathing deepened and her lips moved as she mumbled some more but Kara couldn’t make sense of it.

“I really hope your gut is right, Alex,” Kara whispered, her blue eyes full of sadness.

Taking off her boots, Kara made sure she was comfortable and warm. Then she fetched a jug of freshwater from the well out back and left it on the table close to her bed. Leaving only the oil lamp on the table burning, Kara checked on her one last time, making sure a clean bucket was by her bed. Alex always threw up when she was drunk.

“S’not dead…”

“Gods willing, they’re still alive…” Kara whispered sitting down on the bed by her side. Taking her hand, the blonde fussed a bit over her sister. “Either way, we’re coming for them…”

She stayed with her until she was sure Alex was deeply asleep. She was going to feel this one in the morning. At least it would give her another excuse to be miserable.

## 

Kara opened the door to her parent’s bedroom, quietly making her way inside. Her mother sat on a chair close to the bed, stoically watching the steady rise and fall of her husband’s chest. She was so focused on him, she never noticed her daughter until she was kneeling by her side and taking her hand.

Alura blinked at her, trying to smile but her lips trembled, and her eyes watered, so she looked away, taking a shaky breath to steady herself, but Kara knew her mother. She would breathe deeply a few times to bring herself under control and not a tear would spill. Then, she would ask how she was holding up; if she had eaten anything yet and scold her if the answer was no, and then, then she would give her that motherly smile of hers and tell she could come to her if she wanted to talk if she needed a shoulder to cry on. She would promise she wouldn’t tell a soul, not even her father, and she wouldn’t. Her mother would hold her close and clean her tears like she had so many times before, all the while shoving down her own pain, waiting until she was alone to grieve in private.

Her father was injured, still fighting for his life; her brother could be dead, and her sister could be a widow now. The two strongest women she had ever met were hurting and she was going to be there for them, no matter how much she was hurting too.

Not giving her mother a chance to get herself together, Kara hugged her, pulling the older woman into a tight hug. She felt the shuddering breath against her chest as her mother’s arms wrapped around her instinctively, delicate fingers grabbing the fabric of her red tunic into tight fists. The hot tears on her shoulder surprised her, it always did.

“That stubborn, pigheaded man…” Alura gritted out, angry. “The gods sent warning… Why didn’t he heed to it? Why?”

Kara soothed her mother’s back, unwilling to relent her hold. Then she frowned. The gods had sent a warning? Why hadn’t she heard of this before?

“He was so eager to make sure your brother would have his wife… That we could have peace with them…” Alura choked out. “The boy was so taken with her… Gods, my boy… My sweet boy… Please, don’t take my boy… Please…”

The tears finally fell, and she cried with her mother, holding her silently as quiet sobs rocked her smaller frame. She needed answers, fast. She needed to make things right.

Kal could still be alive. Sam could still be alive. Their warriors… They could all be waiting for someone to come to rescue them, however unrealistic that was. Her gut was screaming at her that something terrible had happened and she always listened to her gut, even when it hurt.

She held her mother until both their tears dried, and her mother pulled away. Her hazel eyes were puffy and dulled with pain, but somehow her mother managed to come up with a smile for her. She always did.

“My sweet little girl…” her mother whispered, touching her cheek lovingly.

“Not little anymore, mama,” Kara smiled, her voice still rough from crying. It was a little game they played, one that seemed to bring comfort to her mother.

“You’ll always be my little girl, my Sunshine.” Alura sniffled, her thumb tenderly rubbing her freckled cheek. “Where’s your sister?”

“Passed out in her room. Gorm sent for me.”

Alura’s face was grim, almost as if she was expecting that answer. “I’ll make sure she’ll have her hangover drink ready.”

Kara scrunched her nose, shivering a little at the memory. She would never forget the taste of that disgusting thing.

“Good. I have to go, mama. I’ll be sure to be back before she wakes up. Will you be all right?”

Alura smiled knowingly and nodded. “Don’t forget to take your cloak with you and make sure you take enough stew for the both of you. I’m sure she didn’t cook today.”

Kara chuckled. Her mother knew her too well. She looked over her shoulder at the prone figure of her father and her throat closed again. “Is he—”

“He’s strong, child. He made it this far, he will not let us down now.”

Looking back at her mother’s fierce hazel eyes, she could see the glint of conviction there and she believed her. Alura would not let him die.

“I’ll be back soon, mama.”

“I know. Be careful, it must be dark already.” Alura kissed her forehead lovingly. “Thank you…”

Kara just smiled and hugged her again. Rising to her feet, the tall blonde kissed her father’s warm forehead. “I love you…”

Giving her mother one last kiss, she left her parent’s room, making sure to check on her sister before leaving. Alex would probably sleep until late in the morning. That was fine with her.

## 

She was sitting outside her cabin, on the comfy swing chair Kara made for her so long ago, slowly rocking back and forth when she heard a noise. Her dog was sitting by her side and he didn’t move, didn’t bark. Moving her arm, she scratched his head gently. The animal raised his head and licked her hand before resting back down.

Flapping wings made her turn her head towards the sound. Looking directly at the source of the noise, she saw a white raven, with beautiful wings and surrounded by a brilliant aura landing on the dirt ground in front of her. She knew what this was.

"Who are you? Show yourself," she commanded softly.

Before her, the raven started to change its shape.

## 

Alura opened her eyes with a start. She had dozed off, it seemed. Stifling a yawn, she looked over to her bed, her sleepy eyes growing wide at the sight of her husband’s barely open blue eyes.

“Zor…” Her eyes blurred again with tears. “You’re awake…”

“Water…” Came the faint whisper.

Alura rushed to fill the mug with fresh water and then moved to his side. Lifting his head slowly, she pressed the mug to his lips carefully. Zor flinched when the mug touched his cracked lips, but he nodded faintly. Alura helped him drink the cool liquid, careful about not letting him have too much at once. She noticed her hands were shaking.

Once he was sated, she put the mug away and replenished the healing balm on his lips, but Zor stopped her with a touch on her hand and she looked up to see pained half-closed blue eyes, the same shade as Kara’s. She noticed he was crying, and her heart clenched, her mind silently denying what her heart knew from the moment he was brought in. Her breath caught in her throat.

“Our boy…”

“No… Please…” Alura moaned, her hand finding his in a death grip.

“Our boy is dead…” came the broken whisper.

“Nononono…” A sob wrenched from her throat, her head dropping on his heaving chest.

Strong arms wrapped around her as her hands grabbed fists full of his shirt. Hiding her face on his chest, Alura cried out loud, not caring if anyone heard. Her heart was broken, and her soul was shattered.

She could hear him cry too. She had never heard him cry, not like this.

Their son was dead. Their sweet, brave son was gone.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Are we all safe and well?  
> Here's chp2 of Raven. Still on the angsty side but we're changing that soon. They're going on a rescue mission ;)  
> I took the time to fix a few things that some of you pointed out. Thank you for that. And I also realized there were some issues with pasting from word to AO3. There were parts of the text that I couldn't paste. All fixed.  
> Hope you like it.  
> Happy Holidays!

“I was waiting for you.”

The voice sounded from somewhere in the dark, making her stop on her tracks, a small basket dangling from one hand while the other held a burning torch. Looking over to the cabin front, Kara noticed the familiar silhouette, slowly rocking back and forth on a swing chair by the cabin’s door. The dim light coming from inside enhanced perky ears barely peeking by the chair’s arm.

“You know,” Kara spoke softly.

She was met with silence.

Careful about her footing, Kara silently made her past the swing chair, placing the torch on the sconce outside by the door. Inside the dimly lit cabin, she placed the basket on the small table, taking the pot out to the hearth to get their dinner ready and warm. It gave her a bit of time to gather her thoughts, not that she had much hope of making sense of anything today. Soft sounds coming from the door warned her she wasn’t alone anymore, and she looked around quickly, making sure nothing was misplaced.

“Sit down, mom sent dinner.” Kara waited for the woman to make her way to the small table, close to the hearth, before placing a bowl with steaming reindeer stew in front of her.

“You must hate me…”

The shaky whisper caught her off guard. “Why would I hate you, Nia?” The warrior kissed the dark head, squeezing her shoulder gently. “Careful, it’s hot.”

“I had a vision before they left. I couldn’t understand it. I—” Nia mumbled, ignoring the food in front of her.

“I know. Eat now.”

Kara sat down in front of the dark-haired woman, noticing how the birthmark between her eyes, shaped like a dark Fehu, glowed faintly in bright purple. Scratching the dog’s ears affectionately, she whispered softly to him. The grey Elkhound lifted his head and licked her hand before lying back down under the table, between both women, with a content sigh.

They ate in silence for a while, neither seeming particularly hungry. When Nia pushed her bowl aside, mostly untouched, Kara knew there was more to come, and she wasn’t going to like it. But wasn’t that why she had come all the way up here when it was dark already; because she knew there was more to come? Taking her bowl, she placed it down on the floor in front of the dog. It’s not like she was hungry anyway. Birg’s ears perked up at the sight of fresh food and he attacked the bowl with deadly intent. That made her smile a little, he was always ravenous it seemed, but her smile faded when cold fingers touched her hand, forcing her to tear her eyes away from the dog.

“Look at me…”

The softly spoken words made her swallow. She had been trying to avoid looking at the white, sightless eyes of the woman before her, but Nia always knew when she was avoiding her.

“He’s dead, isn’t he?” She felt bile rising in her throat.

The fingers touching her hand squeezed tightly, urging her to look up into the sightless eyes. There were tears there and the dark runes on her forehead and temples, the symbols that marked her as seeress, glowed bright purple, like the Fehu on her forehead. It was a sight that scared many but never Kara.

“He… he came to me today, in spirit…” Nia’s voice trembled. “…as a white raven.”

A choking sound left Kara’s throat and her breath caught. He was dead… Her brother was dead. She would never see him again, would never laugh with him again; would never enjoy his warm hugs again. He was gone - forever. It was too much to handle. Kara left her chair, running hastily to the cabin’s door, the bile in her stomach rising dangerously fast.

Her breathing was coming hard and fast and she dropped hard on her knees somewhere in the dark, one hand pressing against her rebellious belly. Opening her mouth, Kara spilled what little she had in her stomach until there was nothing left.

Her brother was dead… A guttural cry escaped from deep inside, and her eyes filled with tears again as she punched the dirt ground hard. And then again, and again, and again, until she had no strength left and her breathing was labored, and her knuckles were scraped and bleeding.

Her brother was dead… Gods, how was she supposed to tell mother? Looking up at the moonless sky, her eyes blurry, she prayed to the gods for guidance, for a sign, but the starry sky remained quiet. Maybe this was all just a terrible nightmare, a horrible dream because she ate too much stew before going to bed, but the pain shooting up from her knuckles and wrist told her this was no dream. This was her new reality and she hated it.

A wet nose touched her injured hand. Kara looked over to the side - she could barely make the dog by her side, it was so dark. Sniffing her hand, Birg decided it smelled nice and licked it.

“It hurts, Birg…” She whispered brokenly, petting his head with trembling fingers. “He was my best friend…”

Birg whined softly, scooting closer to the warrior. His head found her shoulder and his big furry paw touched her arm. Kara’s anger melted away for an instant. Pulling the dog closer to her, Kara wrapped one arm around him, tears falling freely down her cheeks.

“You’re a good boy, Birg. Such a good boy…” Birg licked his snout, his tail wagging happily at the praise. “He loved being with you, you know that?”

She stayed like that until her tears dried out completely, with the Birg snuggled against her while she touched his fur gently. She cried more today than in the last five seasons and she was tired of it.

“C’mon, boy…” Kara patted his side, carefully rising to her full height while flexing her battered hand. How was she going to hide that from her mother? “Nia must be worried.”

Birg nuzzled her hand and waited dutifully by her side for her to take the lead. Kara smiled at that. She had taught him, after all. Birg had been a birthday gift to Nia once her cabin was ready and livable. It wasn’t safe to be up here all alone, and with Nia being blind, Alura worried, so Kara convinced Kal to go with her to a nearby village to get a puppy for their adopted sister. Old man Lars always had good breeds. She remembered how Nia argued about not needing a dog, but it lasted only until the puppy jumped on her and filled her face with doggie kisses. They teased her mercilessly after that.

Making her way inside the cabin, Kara noticed Nia now sat quietly on the bear’s skin spread out on the floor, close to the hearth for warmth, the rune on her forehead still glowing faintly. This far north in Krypton, even if it was still the middle of summer, it was always chilly at night.

“Let me see it,” Nia commanded softly, holding her hand up imperiously.

Kara shook her head but complied before sitting down by her side. It baffled her how Nia was always able to ‘see’ her reactions, how she always just knew something was wrong, like now. How did she even know her hand was injured? 

“Ouch!” She hissed when a wet, cold cloth touched her scraped knuckles. She tried to pull her hand away, but Nia held it firmly.

“You’re such a baby…” Nia mumbled, carefully cleaning her scraps.

Kara scowled. Any other day, she would find a suitable reply, but not today. Today she didn’t care. “Is he in Valhalla?”

“No,” came the soft reply. Without looking up, the Seeress continued to clean the drying blood.

Kara tensed. “Tell me. Don’t hold back, Nia. I need to know.”

Nia slowly felt around for the jar with a pungent-smelling ointment, taking a chunk of it with her fingers and applied it liberally over the blonde’s knuckles, using a clean bandage to wrap around it when she was done.

“I don’t know many details, Kara. Father Zor can explain everything.” Her white eyes glowed bright purple for a moment. A tired breath escaped. “He’s awake.”

“Dad’s awake…” Kara almost felt dizzy with relief. Despite her mother’s words before she left, she wasn’t sure he would make it. One last thing to worry about. “You said he came to you.” Kara frowned, pulling her hand away, her eyes focused on her adopted sister’s face. The glowing of her marks and eyes would tell her when she was connected to the spirit world.

“He did. He…” Nia hesitated.

“What? Nia, what did he say? Did he name his killer? How did he…” her voice cracked, but there was urgency in it. “How did he die? What happened?”

Nia shook her head, her marks glowing more vividly now, but her eyes remained white. “It was an ambush, on his wedding day… He… He didn’t see his killer, his wife did. He… He was looking at her… Afraid for her… She looks terrified…” Nia searched for Kara’s hand, holding it tightly. “Kal died without a weapon, Kara.”

Kara’s lips pursed angrily. To die without a weapon was a great dishonor for a Kryptonian warrior. It meant the warrior couldn’t go to Valhalla, to join Odin and their ancestors.

“They must be avenged, Kara or they will be forever trapped in Fólkvangr.” Nia’s eyes suddenly flashed bright purple, her marks glowing brightly. Kara jumped a little. She was more than used to that, but it always caught her off guard. “The black cross brings shadow to the blood of Odin. Avenge them!” The intense glow vanished just as quickly as it started but her eyes remained bright purple. “Many still live, I can sense their beating hearts. There is still hope but I feel their time is limited.” Sightless, bright eyes bore into steely blue. “You must hurry.”

“I will find them, Nia, and I will bring them back, I swear it,” Kara vowed in a fierce whisper, squeezing her hand. And then she was going to hunt down the bastards responsible for her brother’s murder and she would kill them all, one by one.

Nia nodded, her eyes returning to their regular pasty white color. “I know you will.” The seeress hesitated. “Please, stay the night. I know you want to see father, but I don’t want to be alone tonight.”

Kara’s expression softened at the rare request. “I will. Let me put all this stuff away. You can make yourself comfortable.” Besides, it was pitch black outside and even with the torch, she would have to go back home slowly. She wanted to go home, to check on Alex and their father, but she didn’t want to leave Nia either. She was family too.

Nia gave her a grateful smile. It didn’t take long for Kara to have everything tidied and Birg taken care of. Now the grey dog sat down on the rug, looking back and forth between her and the bed, with his big puppy dark eyes.

“Sorry, boy, I’m taking your spot tonight, I know.” Kara shrugged helplessly at the dog.

The big dog gruffed loudly before dropping down on the rug, resigned.

“You’re lucky he loves you,” Nia spoke softly, cuddling the moment the blonde lied down.

“Very lucky.” Kara smiled. Pulling the wool blanket over them, she fidgeted with the hem of the blanket, an unconscious quirk when she wanted to talk about something.

“What is it you want to ask?”

Kara hesitated. She wasn’t sure she wanted to ask. “What about Sam? Is she alive?” Gods, she hoped so. Alex needed good news.

Nia was silent for so long, Kara thought she wouldn’t get an answer. Fear gripped her heart. Sam was dead too…  _ Oh, gods…  _ But then Nia’s soft voice cut through the silence.

“I—I can’t sense her spirit. There are many that I can’t sense.”

Kara frowned, her heart beating fast. Maybe there was still hope. “What does that mean?”

Nia closed her eyes, hiding her face against Kara’s broad shoulder. “It means that there are several still alive but I’m not sure who they are. But just because I can’t sense her doesn’t mean she’s alive.”

Kara nibbled on her lip worriedly, remembering Alex’s slurred words. “Alex thinks she’s alive. She said she can feel it in her gut.”

Nia sighed. “They are soulmates, she would know if Sam was with spirit, but…”

“But?”

“But grief and pain can sometimes dull our senses.” The seeress squeezed her muscular arm. “I don’t want to give her false hope, Kara. That will destroy her.”

“I know,” Kara pulled the smaller woman against her, soothing her long black hair with her uninjured hand. Nia didn’t usually allow herself to take comfort but somehow, she always sought it out when she was around. “But not knowing is hurting her. You know she doesn’t handle emotions well.”

“Keep her away from the ale, Kara. It clouds her judgment, and you need her clear-headed.” Kara felt the warm exhale against her skin. “The return of those who still live depends on you both being focused on their rescue and not revenge. The time for that will come.”

_ Revenge _ … Kara’s jaw clenched. Lionel of L’uthr had no idea of what was coming for him.

##

Kara arrived at the northern gate a little after first light, surprising the sentinels. It took her forever to fall asleep the night before and what little sleep she had was nothing more than restless slumber, filled with tormenting dreams.

Gazing up to the fortified watchtowers on each side of the gates, with their silky blue banners draping from above, Kara couldn’t stop the pang of sadness and hurt that threatened to overwhelm her. Soon enough, those silky banners decorated with the town’s coat of arms, a red inverted Valknut with a slithering snake expertly sewed in its center, would be replaced with more somber ones, the black banners with the silver coat of arms, so that every one that came to town knew warriors from Argo had been sent to Odin.

“Morning, Kara,” a guard opened the gates wide and locked each door to the palisade to keep it from closing with the often strong winds blowing from the bay. The gates were closed every day at nightfall and reopened the following day. “No word from the ships yet.”

Kara nodded at the guard before riding inside the short tunnel made of stone and wood that led inside the fortified town, torches on each side lighting the way. “I know…” There would be no ships coming in today.

The guard frowned, confused. “How do you know?”

But Kara chose not to reply, silently riding away towards home. It was a quick ride since many were still in their homes, having a hearty breakfast with their loved ones before starting the new day. Thankfully, no one stopped her to ask for news about the ships.

Once inside, Kara went straight to her sister’s room. Opening the door quietly when no one answered after she knocked, Kara poked her head inside to check on her sister, but almost lost her meager breakfast on the spot over the nauseating stench of vomit.

“Loki’s balls…”

Taking a deep breath, Kara pulled her red tunic up to cover her nose and rushed inside the room to open the windows and let much needed fresh air in. She didn’t care if it was going to disturb Alex’s sleep. The stench was unbearable.

Grabbing the bucket with a grimace, Kara hurried outside to dispose of its contents and wash it before going back in. At least it was breathable inside the room now, with the windows open and the fresh morning air and the scent of her mother’s herb garden from somewhere below.

Wetting a cloth in the washbasin by the window, Kara cleaned her sleeping sister’s face and neck, careful about not waking her up, though she doubted Alex would wake up anytime soon if her snoring was any indication. It was better anyway. She still hadn’t decided on what to tell her after her conversation with Nia. She didn’t want to keep it to herself, but she wasn’t sure about telling her either.

“What a mess…” Kara rubbed her face with both hands, flinching when her injured hand protested against the movement. Punching people was far less damaging than punching the hard dirt ground.

Alex rolled over to the side, mumbling something about squirrels, a deep frown on her sleepy face.

That made Kara smile. “You hate the furry buggers, don’t you?” Making sure her sister was comfortable and warm, the blonde squeezed her shoulder gently and kissed her forehead. “I don’t like them either.” Noticing the two cups on her nightstand, the blonde grinned. “It’s better than being miserable all day, big sis.”

Still grinning, Kara left her sister’s room, wandering quietly down the hall to her parent’s. She just wanted to check on them before going to her own room. She had a plan. She was going to wash up, eat something, and then force herself to get some sleep. She was sure she was going to need it.

Poking her head inside after a soft knock on the door, she spotted her mother lying on the bed, all snuggled against her father’s much larger frame, her hand clenched around a chunk of his tunic. Kara couldn’t see her face from where she was, but she could hear her mother’s ragged breathing. Her heart clenched. Her mother knew…

Feeling like she was intruding on what was the privacy of her parents, Kara started to close the door behind her. She needed to escape to her room, to be alone with her thoughts, but a gruff and raspy voice called out.

“Don’t leave, daughter…”

Swallowing at the sound of her father’s deep voice, Kara stopped, her hand gripping the doorknob. She didn’t want to. Not that she didn’t want to hug her father, she did, but she didn’t want to hear it from him. It would make everything… real.

Her feet moved out of their own accord and she found herself standing by her parent’s bed, pinned by pained, puffy eyes, as blue as her own.

“Come here…” Her father’s large and sunburned hand patted the side of the bed, his arm opening in silent invitation.

Licking her suddenly dry lips, Kara lied down and snuggled against her father’s side. She almost lost her composure when his arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her closer against him.

“Kal…”

“I know…”

Just like her mother, Kara’s fingers wrapped around the wrinkled fabric of his tunic. She didn’t want to cry again. She would not cry again! She was Kara Zorsdóttir, a daughter of Odin. She would not lose it in front of her father, not when he needed her to be strong!

“It’s my fault… I shouldn’t have agreed to this. I—" His voice cracked, and it almost broke her resolve.

“It’s not your fault, daddy…”

There was a choking sound, but she didn’t dare look up.

A warm hand covered her own and she opened her eyes to see her mother’s hazel eyes glistening with tears. Kara tried to smile at her mother, but she wasn’t sure she was being successful. Releasing the fabric she was still gripping, she entwined her fingers with her mother’s instead.

“El mayarah…” 

The tears fell from her mother’s eyes at the sound of her soft-spoken words. Never had her old family motto made so much sense like in this moment. They weren’t all together. Kal was gone forever. Alex was still snoring out her drunken stupor and Sam… Dear Odin, Sam could still be alive, somewhere in that gods’ forsaken Celtic land. They weren’t all together here but even in spirit, they would always be together and would always be stronger for that.

##

Still resting in her father’s arms and holding onto her mother’s hand, Kara summoned her courage. She needed to know. “Dad… I—” Her courage failed her, but her mother squeezed her fingers gently and she took strength from that.

“You want to know what happened…” Her father’s deep voice sounded almost like a whisper.

Kara nodded. “I need to.”

Zor was quiet. She could hear him swallow, his heart beating faster under her ear. She knew what she was asking of him.

“It happened at the wedding festivity. Everything was going so well, everyone was enjoying themselves and Kal… Kal was so happy, so taken with his beautiful wife…” His voice faltered and he had to stop.

Kara felt her mother’s fingers tightening their hold around hers.

“I had to go outside… nature’s call… I could hear the laughter and then there was shouting but I thought it was just drunk storytelling… I—I remember smiling, wondering what outrageous tale Olav was telling those innocent L’uthronian maidens.” Kara couldn’t help but smile a little at that. Olav, the Storyteller was well known for embezzling the tales of their adventures. “I was about to head back when I heard a deep croaking sound. I looked around but I couldn’t see any raven, so I looked up and I panicked. The full moon was red, just like Nia said it would and I—I felt fear in my heart because I knew something terrible was about to happen. I ran inside that gods’ forsaken tent and I—I…” Zor cleared his throat as Kara looked over at her mother. Alura was covering her mouth with her free hand to keep the sobs from escaping. Kara swallowed hard, bracing herself for what she knew was coming. “I looked over to where he was supposed to be and I... I saw my son… my boy with a bloodied sword sticking out from his chest and I couldn’t get to him… I couldn’t save him… My son… I couldn’t save my son...”

Silent sobs wracked through his chest and he couldn’t speak for the longest time. Kara kept quiet as her parents grieved the loss of their son, her eyes focused on an invisible point somewhere on the wall, glistening with unshed tears. The thought of her brother’s murder in such a cowardly way was playing havoc with her emotions. She had to keep herself under control.

“Did you see who did this?” Kara asked softly when she felt him calm down.

Zor shook his head. “No… he was wearing a white hood over his head… They were all wearing white cloaks and hoods with a black cross painted over the chest. War Monks, I’m sure of that.”

_ The black cross brings shadow to the blood of Odin. Avenge them! _ Nia’s words screamed in her head and Kara raised her head, staring at her father.  _ The black cross… _ “War Monks? Monks are peaceful. They do not engage in battle.”

“We heard the stories about them when we got there, the monks that roam the countryside forcing their God’s ‘justice’ on people. The people fear them, even the nobles.” Zor glanced up at his daughter, his blue eyes tired and bleary. Cupping her face, he went on, “They didn’t kill any of the locals, only Kryptonians. This wasn’t a random attack, Kara. It happened when none of the royal family was around with the exception of Lena. It was a trap.”

Kara’s eyes darkened, anger festering inside. “What about Sam? Did you see her? Did she—”

Zor shook his head, his hand dropping from her face heavily. “Last I saw Sam she was trying to get Lena under a table for protection. The royal guards swarmed in, attacking us as well. Next thing I know, my men are dragging me away from the tent and we’re on the run.” His voice grew tired, heavy with shame. “I don’t know what happened to her… How do I tell Alex? She’ll never forgive me...”

Kara shared a look with her mother.

“There was nothing you could have done, Zor. You were betrayed and you were outnumbered,” Alura said, her voice rough from crying. “If you had stayed you would have been killed too and we would still be waiting for you.”

“I know, but…” his deep voice was almost a desperate whine.

“I went to Nia, dad. There are survivors.”

Zor moved to a sitting position so fast, Kara almost lost her balance and fell off the bed. “There are survivors? She’s sure? How many?”

Kara nodded, sitting on the edge of the bed. “She is. She can feel the beating of their hearts, but time is running out. We need to get them out!”

“Sam?” Her mother’s desperate hold on her arm almost made her flinch.

“She’s not sure. She doesn’t think she’s with spirit, but… she can’t be sure.”

“Start gathering men and ships,” Zor ordered, trying to leave the bed.

Kara frowned.

“What are you doing?” Alura asked, her voice stern.

“Getting out of bed to start preparations, what does it look like?”

“Zor Yarsson, you will not get out of this bed until I tell you to!”

Zor stopped abruptly and Kara looked away. It was never a good thing when her mother called someone by their full name. She learned that a long time ago.

“Alura…”

“You are still injured and weak! You’re not going anywhere. Your daughters can handle this!” Alura glared at Kara. “And you all better make it back in one piece, daughter!”

Kara swallowed, her eyes wide. “Yes, mother.”

“Alura, I know the place. I can—”

“You can tell us all you know, dad, and we appreciate it,” Kara interrupted him smoothly, shrugging one shoulder at the look of betrayal on his sunburnt face. “Sorry, dad but mama’s right.” Kara kissed his cheek, before making a quick retreat. “I’ll go get Alex.”

She closed the door just as the argument became heated, her parent’s voices raised. It wouldn’t last long. Mother would have the last word and they all knew it. Sometimes she wondered why her father even bothered disagreeing with his wife.

Now, to check on her sister. Hopefully, she was up already.

##

Alex tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt heavy and unresponsive. Her lips and throat felt dry like she hadn’t had a single drop of water in days, not to mention her head was killing her. She tried once more to open her eyes, succeeding partially. Moaning, Alex forced herself to roll over, only to fall out of bed on the hard floor below with a surprised yelp.

The pained groan followed by heavy cursing sounded muffled against the rug she had fallen on, but she made no move to get up. She just couldn’t muster the energy, so she just let herself stay where she was, even dozing off for a bit. When she woke up again, Alex forced herself out of the floor with a grunt, clumsily clinging to her bed for support until she finally managed to sit upon it. Dropping her throbbing head on both hands, the redhead groaned miserably.

“Gods kill me now… How much did I drink?” And why was her head spinning?

Blindly reaching up for the cup on the nightstand, she took it with one hand and brought it to her lips, but the awful scent made her stop in time.

“Crap... I’m being punished, I know it…” It was her mother’s infamous hangover medicine. It was a lifesaver, but it smelled awful and tasted worse.

Scrunching her face in disgust, Alex pinched her nose and downed the awful beverage down her throat in one gulp. Gagging, she discarded the cup and quickly grabbed the other cup which she knew would be a mint infusion with honey, to take the awful taste away. Still holding the cup in her hand, the redhead dropped back down on the bed with her eyes closed. She needed to go down to the village to check on incoming ships. Maybe she could take one of the rowboats to the fjords. She could keep watch from there. If only this damn concoction worked faster to make her head stop spinning and hurting.

##

Spotting Alex’s form hunched over herself on her usual perch, Kara exhaled heavily. She knew she was headed this way the moment she opened her bedroom door and didn’t find her. Stubborn thing. Patting her horse’s back affectionately, she whispered that she would be back soon to take care of him properly.

The horse whined, hitting her with a swish of his tail on the back of the head.

“Hey, behave or no apples for you!” Kara warned while rubbing the back of her head. “I have a big sister over there to take off first.”

She watched as Alex’s head tilted back, clumsily downing the contents of the mug on her hand. Kara scowled, noticing the door to her cabin was ajar.

“She’s been raiding my keg…” Kara stormed over to where Alex was sitting, trying to empty the mug down her throat. “Dammit, Alex, that keg was pricey! Gorm does not sell it cheap!”

Alex looked over her shoulder, raising the empty mug in a salute. “It’s worth every coin…”

Kara snatched the mug from her sister’s hand, finding it almost empty. “That’s enough for you!”

“Hey!” Alex shouted angrily, rising to her feet on wobbly legs. “Gimme that!”

Kara emptied the mug on the grass, throwing it away while glaring at her sister. “Enough! We need to go back to town. Dad is awake.”

“I don’t care…” Alex growled, intent on going back to the cabin, but Kara stepped in front of her. “Get out of my way, Kara.”

“No! You need to sober up. You’ve been drunk since yesterday.”

“That’s my problem!”

“You’re behaving like a child!” 

“Just like you were when Sara died, and no one blamed you for it!”

Kara’s angry words died in lips, her breath faltering for a moment. She hadn’t thought of it in so long, but she was finding that after all this time, it still hurt. Her face set into a cold, unreadable mask as she rolled up her tunic sleeves, exposing her strong tattooed forearms.

“Kara…”

Alex took a staggering step back, one hand rising in warning, but Kara wasn’t listening, not anymore. She knew exactly what Alex was feeling, she knew how much she was hurting, but Sam could still be alive, and they had people to rescue and they were running out of time! With a swift move, Kara wrapped her arms around her sister’s waist and tossed the woman over her shoulder, stomping down to the shore with Alex kicking and punching and yelling at her the whole time.

“Kara, n—” Alex’s honey-colored eyes widening comically when she realized what Kara was up to. “Kara!”

Unceremoniously, Kara dumped her older sister in the cold, shallow waters of the bay with a splash. Crossing her arms under her breasts, Kara waited, her face impassive. If her sister wanted to act like an ass, she would treat her like one.

Alex emerged, spluttering indignantly. Stumbling to her feet, the redhead stomped out of the cold water, fuming, but once she was within reach, Kara pushed her back in again, making her fall in the water with a yelp.

"What the Hel!" Alex yelled at her sister, water dripping from her long red hair onto her face.

Kara glared and pointed a long, accusing finger at her. "The first one was for being rude to me. That was uncalled for! The second one is for you to sober up!" Planting both hands on her hips, Kara's face was stony. "Do I need to dump you again?"

Alex growled. She was soaked and still sitting where she had fallen but she shook her head.

"Good. Now get your sorry ass out of there, you look like a drowned rat. I'm making mint infusion and broth."

Without waiting for an answer, Kara turned her back on her sister and made her way back to her cabin, hoping she made the right move. She needed to get Alex focused. She needed her tactical mind to plan the rescue of their warriors from the walled citadel of Metropolis, and they had to move fast.

##

Dungeons Level

L’uthr

A heavy iron door closed with a muffled thud as a cloaked figure made its way inside the dark and cold dungeon. Sitting on a low wooden stool, the cloaked figure removed a small basket from under the cloak. Placing it on the stone floor, an elegant pale hand pulled the hood back to reveal a dark-haired woman.

“I raided the kitchen for pastries,” The woman said in a low tone, smiling at the cot’s single occupant.

A dark eyebrow rose in amusement as the cot’s occupant reached for the basket. “You’re going to get yourself in serious trouble one of these days, Lena of L’uthr.”

Bright green eyes full of mischief twinkled.

###

TBC

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me what you think :)  
> Remember, receiving a comment is as important to a FF writer as getting a Kudo :)


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